Lock Quinten Strange will have to wait for his All Blacks debut, with an ankle injury likely to keep him out of this year's Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship campaign.
The All Blacks have confirmed Strange sustained the injury during training on Wednesday, and is "expected to be out of rugby for up to 6-8 weeks".
Strange's Crusaders' teammate Mitchell Dunshea has been called into the squad as a replacement.
Strange, 24, has not played since suffering a shoulder injury during Super Rugby Aotearoa, missing the tail end of the Crusaders' triumph and the start of Tasman's Mitre 10 Cup schedule.
Last month, he was one of seven uncapped players named in Ian Foster's 35-man squad.
But the injury will leave the All Blacks with a massive hole to fill, as their depth in the second row has been tested with injury.
Sam Whitelock, Patrick Tuipulotu and Tupou Vaa'i are the other locks currently on duty for the upcoming Bledisloe Cup tests against Australia.
Foster is expected to add 11 players to his squad to contest the Rugby Championship in Australia in November/December, with Crusaders skipper Scott Barrett expected to return from a foot injury that forced him out of Super Rugby Aotearoa.
The All Blacks have alreadt lost utility back Braydon Ennor due to an ACL injury during the North v South games.
Join us for live updates of the Bledisloe Cup series first test on October 11.
